The Five Scarves - Dragonkin Ultimatum Part 1
by RaceProUK
Summary: (Book 3 of 3, Part 1 of 5) The Jade Alliance has been driven from Shang Tu, but the cost of victory is high; the Royal Palace is heavily damaged, and whole sections of the city lie in ruins. But for Rob, Danny, and Xander, none of that matters: they're more concerned about the fate of Maria Shanmao…
1. Chapter 1

_I'm trapped._

 _Buried in rubble, no means of escape… so hungry… so_ thirsty _… can barely stay awake… just a sliver of light… my hearing is playing tricks on me… I can hear people… someone's moving into the light… can't tell who it is… just a cream blur… some orange too… talking, other noises… can't… stay…_

* * *

Rob wakes with a start; it takes him a few moments to realise he's in a hospital bed. Sitting up, he spies the jug of water on the bedside unit; without even a moment's hesitation, he takes the jug and drinks directly from it, downing half its contents in one extended swig. Panting, he returns the jug to the bedside table. _May only be water, but no drink has tasted better. Now, who rescued me?_

As if to answer Rob's question, Milla pops up at the end of the bed with a loud "rrrrrrrRUP"; Rob nearly jumps right out the bed.

"Milla?" Rob asks as he recovers his composure. "What are you doing here?"

"I found you!" Milla replies.

"So it _was_ you I saw," Rob murmurs, reaching for the jug again; this time, he drinks from it normally. "Thanks for saving me. How long was I buried?"

"Don't know," Milla frowns. "You'll have to ask the General."

"There you are Milla!" Lilac interrupts, entering the room. "Come on, it's time to go home."

"Lilac? Why are you here?" Rob asks.

"We came to help repel the Jade Alliance," Lilac explains.

"Did we win?"

"Yes, but…" Lilac tails off, unwilling to continue.

"But what?" Rob asks, his tone one of concern.

"Milla, can you wait for me outside?" Lilac asks.

"OK," Milla sighs as she leaves the room.

"That bad, huh?" Rob continues once the door is closed.

"I… General Gong will be along to debrief you soon," Lilac answers, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Rob drains the last of the water from the jug and sets it on the bedside table. "You can tell me."

Lilac takes a deep breath. "Carol and Milla don't know what I'm about to tell you; I feel it best they don't know."

"Please, don't beat about the bush," Rob requests. "I don't care how bad it is, just tell me straight."

Lilac sighs, steeling herself to deliver the news. "Maria was found unconscious, bound to a chair, and run through with her own ninjato," she explains softly. "She's suffered extreme blood loss; her chances of recovery are… minimal."

Rob hangs his head as the enormity of the news sinks in; the tears that come are allowed to flow freely. "Thank you for being straight with me," he whispers. "Do you know who did it?"

"No," Lilac answers. "Carol and Milla told me they were fighting Ryoichi while Maria battled Tsubaki, but they didn't see the impaling, thank the Ancients."

"It was Tsubaki," Rob states with venomous certainty. "Ryoichi's not sadistic enough to do that to someone."

"I am truly sorry for what happened to Maria," Lilac consoles.

"I know; thank you."

"I'd better go; the General will be here any moment."

"I'll be OK."

"That's a lie, isn't it?" Lilac replies softly.

"Yeah, it is…"

"If you ever need someone to talk to, you know where we are," Lilac offers.

"Thank you."

"I'd better go; I guess you'll want a few moments alone before Gong appears."

"I'd like that."

With a nod, Lilac leaves.

Rob sits for a few moments as the room returns to silence. _First Hanna… now Maria… one by one, the Elemental Protectors are falling._


	2. Chapter 2

A few minutes later, General Gong is the next to visit Rob; the general has with him a fresh outfit for the hare.

"I would wish you a 'good morning', but I'm afraid I have nothing but bad news for you," Gong informs.

"Lilac already told me about Maria," Rob nods. "Whatever news you have can't be worse than that."

"The Elemental Crystals have been taken."

"…except maybe that."

"We underestimated the enemy," Gong admits. "While we kept the Jade forces out of the Palace, it's clear some of their elite fighters found their way past the lockdown."

"The Grand Masters are resourceful," Rob admits. "This may sound odd coming from me, considering what they've done, but they'd make excellent Scarves."

"I know you have more pressing concerns on your mind, but I must insist on a full debrief," Gong continues.

"Very well, let's get it over and done with," Rob sighs, sliding out of bed; he accepts the fresh outfit and dresses quickly.

* * *

An hour later, in a private room elsewhere in the infirmary, General Gong finishes debriefing Rob. The Magister is also present; all three are sat around a small table.

"Put simply, a third of the city is in ruins, my friends are broken, drugged, or dying, and all five Elemental Crystals are in the hands of an arrogant, manipulative, homicidal maniac," Rob summarises. "Put even more simply, we've lost."

"Do not allow your sorrow to cloud your judgement," the Magister advises.

"Oh, cram it up your backside!" Rob snaps.

"How dare you-" Gong starts angrily; he falls silent at the Magister's signal.

"Let him speak his mind, general," the Magister requests.

"Why?" Rob retorts. "Hoping to hear some amazing wisdom or something?"

"That is a hope, yes," the Magister confirms.

"Well, you're out of luck. I mean, it's not like we know where Aquila's taking the-" Rob pauses as he suddenly realises the answer is obvious to him; resting his head on the table, he strikes the back of it several times with his fist, repeating "I am so _stupid!_ "

"I'm afraid I don't follow," the Magister prompts.

"Isn't it obvious? The Kakusareta Kyuden on Tenshijima!" Rob exclaims. "'It doesn't get any visitors, making it a perfect place to set up a secret base.' That's what Danny said when we first laid eyes on it. And it's where we found Serpentine. It's the only place that- Hanna will be there too! There's still hope!"

Though the Magister's face cannot be seen in the shadow of his hood, it's clear he is smiling. " _That_ is what I was waiting for."

"I don't follow," Rob replies, confused.

"'There's still hope'," the Magister quotes. "As long as you have hope, the battle is not lost."

Rob eyes the Magister with amused suspicion. "You did that on purpose. You knew if I continued, I would realise I already knew the answer."

"Sometimes it's better to be the guiding hand on the path to enlightenment."

"OK, can we stop with this spiritualistic nonsense?" Rob requests. "Yes, it worked this time, but it's also really annoying; it's part of why I left Shang Tu all those years ago."

"As you wish," the Magister capitulates. "If you'll excuse me, I need to attend to other duties."

Once the Magister has departed, Rob speaks up again. "I want to see my friends."

"Very well," the general agrees.


	3. Chapter 3

General Gong escorts Rob to the room where Xander is recovering; there, they find the wolf is being put through a series of diagnostic physiotherapy checks.

"I was buried for nearly three days, and you're the one getting all the attention," Rob jokes; his tone is warm and light, though his expression is melancholic at best.

"They're just checking I still work right," Xander replies; his own smile fails to mask the darkness in his eyes.

"I heard you got involved in a bit of action trying to escape the city," Rob continues.

"We were being chased by that peregrine," Xander explains. "He kept throwing impact grenades at us. We avoided most of them, but one managed to blow me off my bike and through a bus shelter. Broke almost everything that could be broken, though somehow my head remained intact."

"Only because there's nothing in it to damage," Rob teases.

"Hey, there may not be much in there, but it's helped you out a few times," Xander teases back. "Plus it helped me convince Maria to continue alone. I take it you've heard about…"

"Yeah," Rob nods solemnly. "Lilac broke the news to me."

"I can't imagine finding someone like Maria was. She's got an iron constitution to see something like that and still act normally."

Rob blinks in disbelief. " _Lilac_ found Maria?"

"Did she not say?"

"No!" Rob pauses a moment. "But then that would explain how she knew Maria's state in that level of detail…"

"I know this probably sounds silly to you, but I pray to the Ancients that they guide Maria to recovery."

"That's not silly in the slightest; I pray for her too."

The two friends share a moment of silence.

"How's Danny?" Xander asks.

"Not seen him yet," Rob answers. "I thought we'd both go see him, then all three of us can visit Maria together."

"That would be the right thing to do," Xander agrees. "Hey, doc, are we done yet?"

The doctor overseeing the tests consults his charts. "There's a couple more tests I'd like to run still, but they can wait."

"Thanks doc." Xander attempts to stand, but he's still weak, and he slumps back in the chair. "Gonna need some wheels," he sighs.

"Of course," the doctor agrees, signalling to an orderly to fetch a wheelchair.

"The doc warned me this might be the case," Xander explains to Rob. "I didn't really understand a lot of it, but basically my bones are where they should be and in the right numbers of pieces. The muscles will take a bit longer to sort themselves out; should be fine by the afternoon though."

"I take it you've received elixir?"

"Just enough to mend my bones; there's those who need it more than me."


	4. Chapter 4

Before long, the orderly returns with a wheelchair for Xander; once Xander has relocated himself to the wheelchair, he follows Rob and General Gong to the rehabilitation ward. They find Danny standing outside one of the rooms, shivering violently even though he has a thick blanket wrapped over his shoulders.

"Don't worry about the shivering," Danny assures as he hears them approach. "It's just a symptom of withdrawal; give it a few hours, and I'll be OK."

"Withdrawal?" Rob asks. "I thought you only got a small dose?"

"Kaede's infernal concoction is extremely potent," Danny explains.

"Is there no antidote?" Xander asks.

"No-one knows what sort of compound it is," Danny answers. "As a result, the medical staff refuse to administer anything, in case they get it wrong. But don't feel sorry for me; save that for Sally. She got a full dose, and… well… see for yourself."

Rob and Xander look into the room to see Sally strapped down to the bed; she is thrashing violently against her restraints, babbling furiously despite the breathing tube in her throat.

"She slips in and out of this state a few times an hour," Danny continues. "Normally she'd be on a sedative drip, but-"

"Without knowing what she was drugged with, they daren't administer anything," Rob finishes.

"Exactly," Danny confirms.

"Why are you watching her?" Xander asks.

"Because I failed to protect her," Danny explains simply.

The three friends watch Sally as she slips into unconsciousness; as she does so, her thrashing and babbling cease.

"What's worse is, every time I look at her, I taste blueberries," Danny reveals.

"That's… odd," Rob observes.

"Ever since I woke up after the rocket hit the throne room," Danny adds.

"Why is that bad?" Rob asks.

"They're her favourite fruit," Danny answers.

"Synaesthesia," Xander explains; Rob and Danny look at him with surprise and confusion. "I hear colours, always have done," Xander continues. "Figured may as well learn the word for it."

"How come you never told us?" Danny asks.

"Never seemed important till now," Xander answers.

"What can you taste when you look at us?" Rob asks.

"You, spinach; Xander, mint," Danny answers.

Silence descends.

"Have you been to see Maria yet?" Rob asks eventually.

"No," Danny answers. "I… haven't been able to summon the courage."

"I know exactly how you feel," Rob sighs.

Silence descends again.

"There's no sense delaying it any longer; let's go," Danny declares softly.


	5. Chapter 5

General Gong escorts the three Scarves to where Maria is being cared for; outside the door, he hands them over to the doctor who will brief them on the full details of Maria's condition.

"Don't sugar-coat it doctor, just give it to us straight," Rob requests.

"Very well," the doctor agrees. "Maria's blood loss was so severe it's a miracle she's even alive; I've never seen anyone lose half their blood and survive, let alone make a full recovery. While the elixir has allowed her body to heal and restore the lost blood, there's no telling how much damage has been done to the brain; while her autonomous functions are mercifully intact, she may never regain consciousness."

"The elixir's effects on the brain are not well understood," Danny continues, remembering what he overheard Sally being briefed on two days prior. "It doesn't repair brain tissue as effectively as it does muscle and bone."

"The elixir works by stimulating the body's own self-repair mechanisms," the doctor adds. "It doesn't target specific parts of the body, nor does it guide the body on how to heal. This isn't so bad with muscle or bone; our studies have shown no appreciable difference in strength, agility, or flexibility after healing with elixir. You can even regenerate lost limbs, given enough time. But the brain is so complex, it's almost impossible to tell what could happen. And Maria's hypoxia only makes it worse."

"Sorry, I didn't quite follow that," Xander interjects.

"Maria lost so much blood her brain was starved of oxygen; she may never wake up again," Rob explains.

"Can we see her?" Danny asks.

"Of course," the doctor agrees, opening the door.

The boys enter to find Maria submerged in an elixir bath, her head just above the water; to the unknowing, she looks like she's merely sleeping.

"We'll leave you alone for a bit," the doctor informs, signalling the orderlies to leave.

For a few minutes, the boys simply sit around the bath, watching Maria for any sign she's aware they're there; no sign emerges.

"I didn't want to believe it," Danny whispers. "She's always been the happiest of all of us; even now, she looks so content. But seeing her like this, knowing what she suffered, that she may never wake up… Jade Creek will never be the same."

"Rage Ravine won't be the same either," Rob sighs. "As silly as we found it, the girls' duelling was always something I secretly looked forward to."

"I think I'll miss her personality most of all," Xander adds. "The funny little names she called us, her infectious enthusiasm, and most of all, her playfulness."

"It may have been borne out of… well, we all know what happened to her as a child," Rob replies. "But it's what made her… Maria."

Pained sadness envelopes the group; for a few minutes, they silently weep for their fallen friend.

Rob breaks the silence. "I'll say one thing for certain."

"What's that?" Danny asks.

"I'm not looking forward to telling Hanna," Rob explains.

"Hanna," Maria whispers almost inaudibly.


	6. Chapter 6

Rob, Danny, and Xander stare at Maria in disbelief.

"Did she just…" Rob asks.

"I heard it too," Danny confirms.

"And me," Xander adds.

"Let me try something," Rob requests; Danny and Xander fall silent. "Maria, you need to wake up if you want to save Hanna."

"Hanna," Maria whispers, stirring slightly. "Save… Hanna."

"Keep going!" Danny urges.

"Maria, do you want to save Hanna?" Rob continues.

"I… save… Hanna?" Maria whispers, stirring more noticeably.

"Yes, you will save Hanna!" Rob continues. "We'll _all_ save Hanna!"

"Save… Hanna… good." Maria slowly opens her eyes; it takes her a few moments for her vision to clear enough for her to recognise her friends. "Hey there," she greets quietly.

"Hey," Rob replies, shedding tears of joy; Danny and Xander shed a few of their own.

"I had the weirdest dream," Maria continues. "I dreamt that I was fighting alongside Carol and Milla, and we were losing to Tsubaki and Ryoichi, and then Tsubaki… that wasn't a dream, was it?"

Rob hangs his head. "No, it wasn't."

"How badly was I hurt?" Maria asks.

"The doctor said you lost so much blood, you may never wake up," Danny explains.

"We're glad you proved them wrong," Xander adds.

"Did we at least protect the Crystals?" Maria asks.

"I'm afraid not," Rob answers.

"Ah," Maria sighs. "So, what-" Maria suddenly sits bolt upright, groaning loudly.

"What's wrong?" Rob asks, a trace of panic in his voice. "Want us to get the doctor?"

Maria doesn't answer; she leaps out of the bath and sprints out the door, yelling " _Outta the way really hungry_ _need food NOW!_ "

Rob, Danny, and Xander immediately set off in pursuit. They chase Maria to the nearby canteen; when they catch up, they find her behind the counter, devouring sushi at a rate they never thought possible. After a couple of minutes, Maria suddenly stops eating; looking around, she sees her friends and the canteen staff staring at her.

"What?" Maria asks; the word is muffled by the sushi she's halfway through eating. "I'm _really_ hungry!"

"You… erm… might want to cover up," Rob suggests.

"What do you mean?" Maria looks down at herself; with a panicked squeak of embarrassment, she desperately tries to cover herself with her arms. "I uh… excuse me," she mutters, blushing heavily.

Xander removes his vest and tosses it to Maria; she catches it and puts it on as quickly as possible. On Maria, the vest works as a very short ill-fitting dress; thankfully, it does enough to cover her.

"Thanks," Maria smiles before continuing to consume sushi at an alarming rate.

Danny then notices Xander's on his feet. "Erm… where'd the wheelchair go?"

"I… must have left it in Maria's room," Xander explains.

A moment later, Maria suddenly stops eating again. "Did I just run through a hospital naked?" she asks through a mouth full of sushi.

The three boys exchange looks; together, they burst into laughter.


	7. Chapter 7

After Maria had finally satiated her hunger by eating enough sushi to feed three, and after the resultant three-hour nap, she is debriefed by General Gong. Once that task is complete, the boys are summoned to join Maria and Gong in a meeting room; they find Maria wearing just her sports bra and gym shorts, her brand-new dress and gloves neatly folded on the table in front of her.

"Not happy with the new dress?" Danny asks Maria as the boys take their seats.

"I want to make some modifications," Maria explains.

"There'll be time for that later," Gong interrupts. "There are more important matters to attend to right now, like how you're going to retrieve the Elemental Crystals and capture Captain Aquila Kawaguchi."

"Capture?" Rob questions. "He should be killed!"

"The Magister wants him alive," Gong explains.

"After all that he's done to us, you expect us to take him alive?" Rob counters angrily.

"If we kill him, then we are no better than he!" Gong retorts.

"Touché," Rob reluctantly admits, backing down.

"Good. Now that that's clear, we can discuss the mission itself," Gong continues. "This morning, we received a communication from Aquila. He's issued an ultimatum stating that we either help him rebuild his fleet so he can hunt down Brevon, or face destruction and enslavement; obviously we're not going to allow either to happen. Owing to your previous services to this city, the Magister has decided that we shall assist you in getting to Tenshijima. We can get you in by submarine; of course, that means you won't have your trikes and ATVs with you. It will also limit the supplies you can take with you, but given your Red Scarves training, that shouldn't prove an issue. I must warn you however that once you're in, you're on your own; we cannot offer support in any way. You either return successful, or you don't return at all."

The Scarves exchange concerned looks.

"The Magister looks kindly upon your services, but he also looks upon your failures," Gong explains. "He commends your actions in defending this city and bringing reinforcements, but he cannot ignore your failure to neutralise the threat long before it got to our borders. This mission is your last chance. If you succeed, your criminal records will be wiped completely clean. If you fail, consider yourselves permanently exiled."

"Why do I get the feeling we don't have a choice in the matter?" Xander asks.

"Because you don't have a choice in the matter," Gong confirms.

"Plus we need to rescue Hanna," Maria interjects.

"You depart at sunrise tomorrow," Gong informs. "Take the rest of today to prepare for your mission. You have full access to the Palace's facilities, but you must not leave the Palace itself; any attempt to do so will be considered a refusal of your mission, and you will be dealt with accordingly."

Gong leaves the room before anyone can respond.

"This is a suicide mission, isn't it?" Maria asks.

"Certainly feels that way," Rob agrees.

"I died yesterday," Maria continues. "It wasn't a nice feeling. I don't intend to go through it again."

"None of us do," Rob assures.

"Then let's make sure of it," Danny suggests. "We have little time to prepare; let's not waste it feeling sorry for ourselves."

"Aquila will use the Crystals against us," Maria sighs. "We can't defend against that sort of power."

"What would Hanna do?" Rob asks.

"Go in anyway," Maria answers.

"Exactly," Rob confirms. "And you'd refuse to be left behind."

"Darn it Rob," Maria chuckles, "you know me too well."

"You sounded just like Hanna then," Rob comments uneasily. "It was creepy."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Just… try not to do it again."


	8. Chapter 8

Two days later, shortly before sunrise; the Shang Tu submarine surfaces ten miles from Tenshijima. Four one-man craft shoot from the bow, heading directly for the island; once they're safely clear, the submarine descends back into the deep to return home.

* * *

At the top of the Kakusareta Kyuden's tallest lookout tower, Aquila watches the compact craft approach. _So, you decided to come after me; I commend your courage. They say that 'Fortune favours the brave'; today I'll prove them all wrong. For fortune favours not the brave, but the powerful. And with the Elemental Crystals, I am the most powerful person on this nauseatingly pathetic excuse for a planet. Not that I'll need to deal with them; the low-power clones I gave the Grand Masters should be enough to crush the Scarves' worthless hides._

Aquila zooms in on one of the craft. _It seems that Fortune is two-timing me; she should be a corpse. Not that it matters; she and her friends won't be leaving this island alive._

Aquila lowers his scope. "Attention Grand Masters," he addresses over the radio. "The so-called 'Elemental Protectors' are on their way. Use the powers I have given you, and show no mercy."

Without waiting for a reply, Aquila shuts off the radio and heads to the dungeons.

* * *

Hanna stirs at the sound of Aquila opening the door to her cell; she raises her head, fixing him with a defiant look as he pushes a compact trolley with a small monitor on it in front of him. It takes all the strength she can muster; her health is slowly failing through illness and malnourishment.

"I see you still have some spunk left in you," Aquila compliments. "Normally my prisoners have broken after this long in my possession." Aquila sets down the chair he's carrying. "Your friends show real tenacity too; they're on their way to rescue you," he continues as he sits. "Not that they'll succeed of course; my Grand Masters will see to that."

Hanna continues her defiant stare.

"An interesting question, young one," Aquila continues. "I think you'll like the answer. After all, theft _is_ one of your special skills, is it not? Along with murder. I still don't understand why you think you're morally better than me; we both have a lot of blood on our hands. It is a vexing concern. Still, it's academic now that I have these."

Aquila opens the small hemp sack he's carrying and empties its contents onto the floor in front of him; Hanna's eyes widen in fear at the sight of the five Elemental Crystals.

"Don't be afraid little girl, I'm not going to hurt you," Aquila soothes mockingly, returning the Crystals to the sack. "I want you to watch your friends die first," he adds, activating the monitor and flicking through a handful of channels. "Here we are!" he exclaims when he finds the channel showing the four craft landing at a small beach. "And don't worry about changing the channel; I can do that remotely for you," he finishes, leaving Hanna to watch her friends. "After all, I'll be watching too."

* * *

Rob and Danny are first to land on the beach, Maria and Xander right behind them; they waste no time stowing the jet-skis and their wetsuits in a small cave nearby. The boys are dressed and kitted as normal; Maria however has modified her dress so it's now a two-piece top-and-skirt ensemble, exposing her midriff. She has also armed herself with twin nunchaku in addition to her usual ninjato and tanto, and all four are wearing special belt buckles designed to hold a crystal the size of a deck of playing cards.

"When the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the dragon. Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, and disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage," Maria growls as she leads the boys into the trees, her ninjato drawn.

"Please Maria, be serious about this," Rob requests.

"I _am_ serious," Maria insists.

"It sounds like you're quoting a movie or something," Danny opines.

"Then _you_ give the inspiring speech," Maria snaps.

The boys remain silent.

"Thought so," Maria smiles.

Danny holds Rob back slightly to talk in private. "Is it just me, or is something about Maria's personality a little… off?"

"I know what you mean," Rob agrees. "I spotted it in Shang Tu, if I'm honest; she's lost that childlike quality."

"Maybe she should have stayed behind," Danny sighs.

"We need her here," Rob reminds. "The chances of success are better with four of us. Plus, there's no way she'd stay behind."

"That's not as reassuring as it should be," Danny admits.


End file.
